I sent a message to Aída, telling her to come meet me and Kurosawa. He had his own location in mind, not minding to share it with me, simply ordering me to follow him.

We walked away from the village, in the opposite direction the twins and I had gone earlier the day to meet with Quinn’s group.

After walking for a while, we reached what appeared to be a tower’s ruins, the structure practically gone. The many stone blocks spread in the area gave more than enough room to sit and have some quiet conversation.

It didn’t take too long for Aída and the twins to arrive.

“Misters, did you receive the message as well?!”

“Everyone did, Hil…”

It was good to see the twins were looking better as they spoke, the light back to Hildr’s eyes.

“Do any of you do not meet the requirements?” Kurosawa asked.

My heart raced against my chest, waiting anxiously for their reply.

Aída shook her head. “All we have to do is wait for the Fourth Trial.”

Kurosawa Touma fell into silence, his eyes glancing over me.

All I could do was close my eyes and take a deep breath.

Guess I’m the only one here, huh?

Hal was the first one who noticed something was wrong.

“Wait…don’t tell me…” A smile sprouted from his lips, his reddish eyes glistering with amusement. “You didn’t qualify?”

Aída and Hil widened their eyes.

“Wait, seriously?”

“How come?! Even older mister is cool!”

I sighed.

Hal began to laugh, passing his hand through his hair. “Wow, old man, you are always fun to be around!”

I clenched my fists, trying to control my nerves.

It was fine.

I had two days, it should be plenty of time.

First, I had to see what all of them had in common. What things were being used as requirements, and the things that weren’t.

The twins were never on the top rankings, so positioning was not it. It was probably safe to assume points were not one of the conditions either.

All of us had Benefactors.

All of us had completed the Trials.

It also didn’t make much sense for the requirements to be things outside our control, or things we could not change. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be fair.

And since when does this system operate based on fairness?

My heart became ice cold, a fear closing around it with a strong grip.

“You four. Tell me everything you’ve done ever since you got here.”

I was surprised to see Kurosawa Touma complying with my request. Yet when I thought about it, after making such a big investment in me, it shouldn’t be in his interests to see me die.

And as I heard their reports, things became more and more confusing.

From everyone there, only Kurosawa had received a leadership position.

Only Hal had dueled with someone.

Only Aída had eaten from every shop in the food court.

Only the twins had tasted every flavor of crepe.

Only I had received a gift from my Benefactor.

Only me and Hal hadn’t sent a gift to anyone.

Only Kurosawa and myself received the letter from the Court of Wands.

Only Hal hadn’t tried to get armor from the Store.

Only Kurosawa had rolled for Consumables in the Store.

…and the list went on. And if I took into consideration each person might have their own particular requirements, it was practically impossible to know what I was missing.

I sat on one of the stones, looking at the orange-tinted sky as if it would drop the answer into my lap if I stared long enough.

Apparently, I had run out of luck, at last.

That man stayed quiet for a while, thinking, his eyes gazing at nowhere in particular, before I heard his voice again.

“Park Eun-Woo, you…”

I didn’t let him finish.

“I think I will head back for now. Perhaps I’m missing something, and all I need is to stop thinking about this trial for a bit.”

The sun was already setting and at that point… All I wanted was to return to my cottage and take a warm shower.

Hildr suddenly approached me, hugging me from the side and burying her face on my chest.

“You will figure it out soon, right?”

I ruffled her head, her crystal blue eyes meeting mine. “Of course I will. This mister here might look old, but I’m pretty cool, as well. And I still need to protect you guys, right?”

She hid her face again, nodding twice.

In front of me, Hal stared in the distance while Aída gave me a worried glance. Seeing her look at me like that…

It brought a bitter taste of joy. A certain attention I craved, tainted with the bleak future attached to it.

Hah, I must be pretty lonely if I’m happy with this kind of attention, alone.

Before it got completely dark, I went back.

----------------------------------------

It turned out, I desperately needed a shower. Not because I was unclean, but because I needed its hot water. Something to wash away my troubled and conflicting thoughts, something to bring some peace to my mind even if briefly.

Too much had happened in one single day. The conversation with Quinn, Hal’s duel, Kurosawa’s offer.

The Second Trial.

Even at that moment, as I dried myself, I could see it clearly. With glowing letters, taunting and mocking me, the system’s message.

[You do not qualify for ‘Gather & Conquer’]

[Time Remaining: 1D:16H:44M]

I let out a sigh, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

Though I could still recognize my main features, it was different. I had a new body. A new name.

A new life.

As ordinary and uneventful my previous life had been, as mundane and insignificant I was compared to many great people, this was not an opportunity I could ever let go of.

As Park Eun-Woo, I was finally living.

I could finally breathe.

And I wasn’t going to let that fucking system screw me over. Not when this new life of mine had only just begun.

[You have received a message.]

A smile appeared on my lips when I saw who was the sender.

[It’s unfortunate our time was cut short, so abruptly.

I waited for you to contact me again, yet you never did.]

I replied right away.

[Something came up.

Will you and your group participate in the following Trials?]

Her answer came not a minute later.

[Wasted no time to ask more questions, I see.

We are qualified for them, yes.

Is someone in your group failing to meet the requirements?]

I could almost see the amusement reflecting in her eyes, her cunning smile. Hah, she was like a sly fox.

[Do you know what the requirements are?]

[I have an idea.

But I won’t tell you.]

Of course, you won’t.

But if Quinn had an idea of what the requirements may be…depending on my questions, this could be helpful.

[Have you ever participated in a Trial like this one?]

[No.]

Huh, quite a short reply.

But if I was right…

If each Trial represented one of the Tarot cards…

[Each Trial, with their goals, requirements, and rules… There are no two of them alike, isn’t that so?]

Her reply took a few more seconds to come.

[Each Trial is, indeed, unique.]

If I knew more about the cards, about the suit of Wands…

Would I be able to tell what the requirements were?

[If you are truly desperate, sir Park Eun-Woo…

I could offer you my help.]

I raised my eyebrows, the smile frozen on my face.

[It wouldn’t be cheap, would it?]

[No good things are cheap, especially in this world.]

A laugh escaped my lips, the sound hollow and cracking. The real question was, how desperate was I?

And how much more desperate could I become?

I already owned Quinn a favor, while having no idea who she really was. Every instinct I had in my body was telling me how I should not, and could not, trust that woman to these lengths.

[I appreciate the offer, yet I would rather figure things out on my own.]

[What a pity, then.]

After that, the messages stopped.

I couldn’t risk it. Not when there was still time to figure things out by myself. If it came to it, I would do everything the others had done, even challenge someone to a Duel.

For I would not give up on my life as Park Eunwoo.

I finished putting on my pants and was about to put on a shirt when I heard three knocks on my door.

Who the heck could it be?

When I opened the door, I was suddenly very aware of the shirt I still held in my hands.

“You…what are you doing here?!” My voice almost cracked, my heart beating wildly against my chest.

Aída looked flustered, sweat running down her neck as if she had been running.

“I might know how to help you qualify!”

I blinked a couple of times, only then noticing how bright her smile was. “What…?”

Aída grabbed my hands, her eyes reflecting the light with joy and excitement.

“The cards! They can be used to read the future.”